Save Money at Home

We read a post the other day on Real Simple's blog about saving money at home. They had some simple strategies and got us to thinking...We'll share our favorite ways to save money with you and ask you to jump in and share yours:

• Unplug consumer electronics when they're not in use -- especially electronics that get their juice through AC/DC converters. • As your current light bulbs burn out, replace them with LED or compact fluorescent bulbs. The amount of energy to run these types of bulbs is significantly less than standard bulbs.• Make a meal plan and grocery list, and then stick to your grocery list when you're at the store.• If you're in good health, consider turning off your heating and cooling system when temperatures outside are between 60 and 80 degrees.

Here are a couple we'd like to add:

• Grow your own herbs inside. It makes indoor life feel great (especially when it's yucky outside) and it makes cooking something wonderful that much easier and less expensive, since you aren't spending $3 on basil every time you want a caprese.

• Invite people over for a game night or a weekly meal. The picture up top is of cate is my name's outdoor patio. A perfect place to have people over instead of going out to eat. This way you get more time at home and if you trade off houses you trade off the cost of the meal and you get quality time with friends.

• Shower together (if you're a couple, not if you're roommates).

• Clean daily with water and you won't have to use a ton of soap and elbow grease for an all out once a month scrub down. This saves on headaches, and buying soap.

• Go to the library and find some good books. Then curl up with that in the evening instead of spending time on the computer or watching tv which always leads to covetting something and can often lead to spending money.

• Apparently a huge way that many of you trim the fat is to cut out coffee purchases at Starbucks. We couldn't agree more. We like using a french press and making a morning ritual out of it. Check out thekitchn for some ideas and recipes for making yummy coffee concoctions at home.

• Join the Cure! And no we're not just saying that because we work here. Curing your home makes it the kind of place you want to spend quality time, by yourself, with others, whatever. And we find that when we're happy and relaxed at home we aren't making impulse purchases or overwhelmed with clutter so we can plan how we want to spend our time, money and energy. And that's real abundance.